Ride Routes 22nd – 28th May

If you stayed on for coffee after any SPR ride in recent months, you would have heard whispers of SEVEN. 

“What size tyres are you running? How heavy is your bike? Will you ride a cyclocross bike or a mountain-bike?” 

The anticipation was palpable.

On Sunday, the day finally came – and there was no talk of tyres or frames. We just rode our bikes.

A 45+ SPR contingent took part in the Seven, Five and Three rides – and every single one of them did the club proud. 

It was the third time I’d embarked on this epic event (though the second year I opted for Five), and it was as spectacular as ever. Weather conditions were ideal for a day out on the bike, and that’s all I tried to see it as. 

Yes, I climbed more than 3000 metres and pedalled across 125km of gravel roads, spending about 7h30m on my bicycle, but at the end of the day I was doing what I loved. 

I met some awesome, like-minded people and caught up with some old faces, I had emotional ups and downs (including two crashes), but I was happy to be out there. 

My happiness was amplified as I rolled into the finish, to see that SPR’s Kate Bonner had claimed third woman overall, Vanessa Johnson came third in her division and Deb Kempe took out first female 60+. 

Michael Bonner had an awesome ride to achieve first male 60+ and Kate Nelligan got first in her age group in Five. 

Sharing in the triumphs and tribulations of my green comrades was something special – and it was great to see how many members signed up to Seven as the event grows. 

I covered the very first Seven in 2018, when the event attracted about 250 riders – compared to an impressive 1000 plus on Sunday. 

It seems the gravel adventure will continue to grow, with rumours that accommodation for next year’s event has sold out already. 

I certainly plan to take part in next year’s Seven. Who’s with me?

Tour of Margaret River Information Session – After the ride this Saturday we are holding the first of our information sessions regarding the Tour of Margaret River 2021.

The club is seeking expressions from riders at all levels. And don’t worry if you haven’t raced before – it does not matter how fast you go!

If you are interested, curious, or just have questions, drop past Dome at 9am, and talk to Steve or one of the Committee.

And as always, contact admin@southperthrouleurs.com.au to express your interest in the event.

Giro D’Italia Dinner – SPR members enjoyed a night out at East Victoria Park’s Bella Rosa café for this year’s Giro d’talia night. 

Forty of us packed the function rooms and chatted all things life and cycling, on the rest day of the Italian grand tour. 

An Italian dress theme was encouraged, and Shirley Vine stood out from the crowd in her pink attire. 

Stay tuned for the next social event during the Tour de France. 

Saturday Start Locations – As announced last week, we are moving back to the older and more condensed layout in the carpark at Coode Street for the start of the ride.

This makes communication and organisation that little bit easier.

Bike Maintenance Session – Check out this post for an invite to SPR women who want to learn the basics when it comes to fixing and maintaining their road bike.


The Rules – just a reminder that it isn’t quite business as usual – As the past week’s lockdown has shown us, it is definitely not business as usual just yet. Please keep in mind our social distancing and personal hygiene:

  • The virus can spread via human contact, so minimise the amount of touching between people and each others bikes/helmets etc.
  • No spitting, snotting or sneezing within the group. If you need to, move to the back of the group, but please look behind you to make sure that it is clear of traffic. That is all traffic, not just bikes. We don’t want some dash-cam footage of someone blowing their nose on a car.
  • Personal hygiene becomes very important in the spread of the virus so make sure that you either wash your hands whenever you can or carry a small container of hand sanitiser. Limit your exposure to common surfaces (chairs, tables) and don’t be sharing items.

SafeWA registration – Remember that for many locations and venues contact registration is mandatory. If you want to sit down for a coffee you must register your details at that premises. There are 2 ways to do this, register on a paper form, or scan a QR code on an app.
So, how do I get the app? Download the WA Government free app – SafeWA and sign up as an individual.
– Android users click here
– Apple phone users click here

Thursday Group 3 & 4 – The last few weeks we have been formalising and supporting the group 3 and 4 rides on Thursday. SPR Thursday has a reputation of being a hard and fast ride and the size of the first group today was a good indication of it’s popularity. However, we also want to provide an opportunity for people to develop and progress through the ranks, so to speak. As such the group 3 and 4 rides on Thursday now have ride leaders assigned to them to help guide people. The expected average speeds for the groups are 34k/hr and 30 k/hr or less average, respectively, so you can make a call as to which will suit you best. Organically developing rides to provide for what the needs of the group is what has contributed to the growth of the club. This is just another step along that path.

Our commitment to Core Values – We are a diverse club that made a point early on of committing to a number of core values to which we have built everything upon. These are – Safe, Inclusive, Organised & Social. It is under these values that we want all club interaction to occur, whether on the road or in cyberspace. Please read the previous post so you understand what we as a club, expect from you as members.

From the Ride Coordinator – OK. Have the ladies and gentlemen at the BOM got the forecast right? Your immediate reaction is likely to be “well probably not” but some early modelling on a Thursday afternoon suggests we might be able to slip in a ride in the morning before the rain sets in. Cross your fingers that they are right this time around.

If they do get it right then those that go out will attempt  one of the most feared rides in our repertoire – Ewen St aka “Spewin Ewen” – nicknamed for the amount of effort that you might put in or perhaps how you feel at the top. I’m not sure it deserves such a fearsome reputation. It’s a cracker of a hill don’t get me wrong – but the elevation across the ride isn’t our worst. Perhaps I just haven’t tried hard enough to enter the red zone? If you haven’t done it before, come see for yourself and you be the judge. The view from the top looking back is good, but it’s the downhill on the other side that’s better 😀. If you choose to ride, make it safe and enjoyable. Hope to see you for coffee if the rain holds off.

Saturday 22nd May

Sunday 23rd May

Monday 24th May

Tuesday 25th May

  • Ride starts under the Narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
  • Ride starts Frasers ave at 5:45am
    • Development group – interval training kings park

Wednesday 26th May

Thursday 27th May

Friday 28th May